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King Jerestan's Mad War
King Jerestan’s Mad War was a civil war in Kavaad that lasted almost 3 years from 845 to 848 CL. The war is also known as the King's War or the War for Virdenia. The first year of the war (845 CL) The war began with the assassination of the King’s Immediate family during the week-long festival to Saint Brocchus in the Moon of the Tree. The king’s sons, Esmont, Aestan, Tymont, including his recently legitimized bastards, Matthos and Illion, were all killed. Allegedly, the king killed them himself, and according to the bardic song “The Bane of Boys” he did so with his family’s sword, Wraithbane. Queen Claraina, born to the noble house Goster of Virdenia, jumped from a tower, killing herself. Patriarch Corbin, the king’s brother, disappeared along with princess Cyrsanna. The two reappeared after the king’s death in 847. The king's sister, Princess Leonara had been tending to her new ward in Syllior, and hid among the Salt Coast Druids for the entirety of the war. Lord Fenrico Goster of Virdenia, Queen Claraina’s father, rallied his armies and presented an official declaration of war against the crown on the 1st Towerday, Moon of the Kraken. Heltor of house Windfall sent his son Tymos to Mythhold, and joined Lord Goster's war for Virdenia. Lord Goster was pushed back at the Battle of Redgate, and had to retreat to his castle in Lakeview. This was largely due to the armies of Arrovale reinforcing the city and coming to the king’s aid in the last second. With the combined force of Central Kavaad and Arrovale, with all their paladin knights, the Virdenians stood no chance. Lord Skallos Emberstar of Arrovale freely delivered to the king all those who shared his green eye, inherited from King Arkhon the Great. Many nobles were stowed away in the night and slaughtered to appease the king’s wishes. One of these victims was Arkhon Zokesh, son of the long dead Aeshon Zokesh and Tysanna of House Meisent (the two who were murdered by their twins, so Borostan Meisent could have his name on the throne). Arkhon had made no claim to the throne, and lived peacefully as a monk in northern Arrovale, bearing no titles and owning no land. Still, he was killed. The second year of the war (846 CL) News and fear spread to Balzamar, where House Vassallar tried to rally the forces of Syllior, which had previously been governed by Emeric Vassallar, who died in 844. The Vassallar armies managed to march all the way to the Capital, where they were met by the Court Wizard Kanilm Foheen and an army too vast to fight against. Some of the Vassallar troops later infiltrated the city to start a rebellion, but most of them fled back to Balzamar. The Battle of Lakeview was a bloody victory for King Jerestan. Fenrico Goster, his wife Sarona, and their son Dalleo were all slain, as was most of houses Valerose and Stormthorn. It is not known whether they perished on the field or after the battle. In the aftermath of the Battle of Lakeview, more soldiers and civil militiamen were slaughtered in a massacre on the southern bank of Lake Virdenia. In the following weeks, the dead rose up and plagued the land before being driven into the lake. When word of this immense tragedy reached the other baronies, Lord Erlist of Balzamar declared his allegiance to the crown and joined the chaotic civil war. House Erlist had many allies with arcane powers, which they then supplied to the court magus Kanilm Foheen. By the end of the year, nearly all descendants of Arkhon the Great had been killed. The Zokesh name was a death sentence. Whispers started circulating about a contender for the throne, known as the Red Hand. The third year of the war (847 CL) Heltor Windfall and Lorico Goster tried to conquer Virdenia, but Lorico betrayed Lord Windfall and gave Heltor’s wife, the king’s aunt Cyrsanna, to the king’s army, and the two were forced to surrender. The king went back on his word to Lorico Goster, and executed Cyrsanna Windfall, enraging Heltor into a reckless and disadvantaged attack. If not for their son Tymos, who was safe abroad, House Windfall would have died out. The Vassallar troops were leading a small resistance in and around the towns of Welton, Syllior, and Nearbridge, but when House Erlist joined the war on the king’s side, they were forced into hiding, facing minor casualties from martial confrontations. In the fall of 847, the war was winding down, with no battles reaching more than a few dozen casualties. However, spies and guards were searching everywhere for more descendants of Arkhon the Great. On a dark winter night, King Jerestan I was found impaled on his own sword and bleeding out. His council announced that he had killed himself grieving for his lost family and mourning the disobedience of his subjects. The king's alleged suicide is regarded by some as a noble self-sacrifice for his kingdom. The end of the war (848 CL) The war quickly subsided after the king’s death. At this time, Kanilm Foheen ruled as vice regent. Foheen commanded the kingdom’s armies in the Battle of the Tykeward Fields, which is regarded as the last confrontation of the war, officially ending on the 3rd Ashday, Moon of the Owlbear. Cyrsanna Sophia Maudelyn Meisent, age 4, was crowned "Queen Cyrsanna I of Kavaad".